Movable ball bumper



April 15, 1958 l. PEARL 2,830,819

MOVABLE BALL- BUMPER Filed July 26, 1955 a Sheets-Sheet 1 7 I I L 12 KKQQI l 20 I INVENTOR.

52 fRV/NG PEARL ///.5' ATTORNEK April 15, 1958 l. PEARL 2,830,819

MOVABLE BALL BUMPER Filed July 26, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lll INVE NTOR. .20 [q w/va PEARL H/S ATTORNEY.

April 15, 1958 1. PEARL 2,830,819

MOVABLE BALL BUMPER Filed July 26, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. 17? V/NG PE/IRL United States Patent O MOVABLE BALL BUMPER Irving Pearl, Trenton, N. J., assignor to Harry Williams Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application July 26, 1955, Serial No. 524,538 2 Claims. (01. 273-121 This invention relates to novel improvements hereinafter described and claimed in a movable ball bumper especially adapted for association on a playing board of an amusement game apparatus as an obstruction or target when exposed upon the playing board.

In ball rolling games of the type where one or more balls is projected over an inclined playing surface, there are disposed upon such surface a plurality of combination ball bumpers and switches as targets orobstacles. The object is to project the balls successively to the upper end of the inclined playing board for gravitation theredown, and as each ball rolls down the inclined playing board, it will strike one or more of the bumper switches. As the ball strikes the bumper switch, it closes a switch controlling a score circuit and, by the bumper portion of the switch, is rebounded back upon the board for further play thereon.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combined bumper and switch which is normally concealed from View and removed from obstructing position with respect to the ball, and automatically moved into view and into obstructing position with respect to the ball, either upon closing of one of the bumper switches or upon attainment of a predetermined score. By this arrangement, the combination bumper and switch embodying my invention may be utilized to provide an additional hazard in the playing field, as well as a means of obtaining a reward for having attained a predetermined score. There may be associated on such playing board one 'or more of the combination bumpers and switches embodying my invention.

A still further and equally important object of my invention is to provide in a ball rolling game a normally concealed combination bumper and switch movable under predetermined conditions from concealed position to ball obstructing position, thereby to increase the playing appeal of the game.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination bumper'and switch of the character hereinafter described, which may be manufactured at the most economical cost.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The inventionconsistsin the novel combination and arrangement of parts'to be hereinafter described and claimed. s

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a conventional ball rolling game showing my improved combination ball bumper and switch associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view of the combination ball bumper and switch embodying my invention, showing the bumper and switch in concealed position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the bumper and switch in ball obstructing position with respect to the playing surface;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the reverse side as seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional substantially on line 6'-6 of Fig. 5;

detail view taken Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suggested circuit manually projected successively to the upper end portion of the playing board 11 through a guideway 14.

The game apparatus constitutes no part of the present invention, but is illustrated for the purpose of showing the employment therein of my combination ball bumper and switch, which will now be described.

The playing board 11 is provided with a central opening 16 through which my improved bumper moves from beneath the playing board 11 to a position thereabove.

Secured to the playing board 11 is a bracket 17 which supports an electric motor 18 of any approved type or construction. train of gears 19 is connected to a driven gear 20'', supported by the frame 22 of the motor 123. Mounted on a shaft 21 is a rotatable disc 20. Eccentrically connected as at 21 to this disc 20 is a link 22. The lower end portion of this link 22 as at 23 is connected to the lower end portion of a plate 23. The upper end portion of this plate 23 has welded or otherwise secured thereto angle brackets 24. These brackets 24 have aligned openings formed therein through which guide rods 25 project, in parallel relation with respect to each other. The guide rods 25 have corresponding end portions 26 secured to a plate 27, in turn secured as at 28, to the playing board 11.

The plate 23 at its lower end portion has secured thereto as at 29 a solenoid coil 39, the plunger 31 of which is'normally projected outwardly by a spring 32 and secured to a cross plate 33. The opposite end portions of this cross plate 33 are secured to the end portions 34 of elongated bars 35 which slidably project through a base disc 36. The upper end portions of these bars 35 .are secured as at 37 to a striker disc 38. This striker disc 38 has a central opening 39 which embraces a post 4%) supported by base disc 36. The upper portion of the post 40 provides a closure plate 41 which, when the bumper structure is in its lowermost position, fits snugly within the opening 16 with its top surface 42 flush with the top surface of the playing board 11.

Embracing the post 40 is a ball contact disc 43 normally retained in a horizontal position by means of a spring '43. depending contact pin 44 which projects through a contact ring 45carried by a spring arm 46. The contact pin 44 and arm 46 are intended to be connected in an electric circuit (not shown) with a score registering mechanism contained within the score cabinet 13 or other portions of the cabinet 10.

The disc 20 is provided with opposite cam slots 47 formed in the peripheral edge of the disc 26 (Fig. 3).. At predetermined points in the cycle of rotation of the disc 20, switch control fingers 4-8 and 49 are adapted to engage in the cam notches 47, and at other times ridev upon the peripheral edge of the disc Zil. These fingers control a switch structure 50 and 51, respectively. These switch structures 50 and 51 are attached to and supported.

by the frame 22 of the motor 18.

The armature 19 of the motor 18 by a This ball contact disc 43 carries a central In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a suggested circuit. In this circuit it will be noted that the switch structure 51 has one side connected to a power line 52 and the other side connected to a coil 53. The coil 53 has one side connected to a holding switch 54. Also connected in circuit with the coil 53 is one of the bumper switches 12. Corresponding sides of the switches 54 and 12 are connected to a power line 52'. The motor 13 has one side connected to the power line 52 and the other side connected to one side of the switch 50, the other side of the switch 50 being connected to the power line 52'. A holding switch 55 has one side connected to the motor 18 and the other side to the power line 52.

When the bumper structure is in concealed position with the cap 41 in closed position with respect to the opening 16, the switch 51 is closed and the switch 50 is opened. A ball striking such of the bumpers 12 as are connected in circuit to control the operation of the motor, will close the bumper switch thereof, setting up an ele tric circuit to relay coil 53, which, when thus energized, will close the switches 54 and 55, thus to energize the motor 18.

As the disc 20 starts its cycle of rotation under operation of the motor 18, the switch 51 will be opened to deenergize the coil 53 and the switch 59 will be closed to hold the motor 18 energized until the disc 20 has rotated a half cycle of rotation, at which time the switch 50 will again be opened and the switch 51 closed. At the completion of this half cycle of rotation, the bumper structure will be in its proiected position above the playing board 11 and exposing the striker disc 38 and ball contact disc 43 in position to be engaged by a ball gravitating down the playing board 11.

Should a ball strike the contact disc 43, it will be tilted, bringing the contact pin 44 into engagement with the contact ring 45, thereby to set up a circuit to the solenoid coil 30, to move the solenoid 32 thereof downwardly to bring the striker disc 38 against the ball to reproject the ball back upon the board.

Should the reprojected ball or a ball projected upon the board 11 by the plunger strike a bumper switch 12 in the motor circuit, the circuit will again be set up to energize the motor 18 for the purpose of moving the bumper structure downwardly with the cap 41 thereof in closing position with respect to the opening 16.

It is to be understood that only certain of the bumpers 12 are connected in circuit with the motor 18 and that when the switches of such particular bumpers are closed by the striking of a ball rolling down the playing board 11, the motor circuit will be energized to raise the concealed bumper structure above the surface of the playing board 11 and into ball obstructing position with respect to the playing board 11, where it will remain until the switch of a particular one of such bumpers 12 is again closed, at which time the elevated bumper structure will be lowered from ball obstructing position into concealed position.

As hereinbefore indicated, the motor 18 may be energized through other circuitsfor example, whenever the score mechanism registers a predetermined score, the motor circuit may be energized for the purposes herein before stated.

The bumpers 12 may be of any approved construction,

4 such as disclosed in Patent Nos. 2,319,786 or 2,322,091.

It is to be understood that my invention is not to be restricted to any particular circuit for controlling operation of the motor but rather resides in the novel feature of moving a bumper structure from and into ball obstructing position with respect to the playing board.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing board having an opening formed therein and over which board game playing pieces are adapted to be moved, a plurality of targets mounted on said board in the path of movement of the playing pieces, one of said targets being movable through said opening, the remaining of said targets being stationary upon said board and including a ballactuated switch, means for moving said one target from a position above or below the playing board, an electric circuit controlling said moving means and including the ball-actuated switches of said remaining targets connected in parallel, and means on said moving means for energizing said circuit during the pro-determined period of time required for moving said target above or below said playing board.

2. A game apparatus comprising a playing board having an opening formed therein and over which board game playing pieces are adapted to be moved, a plurality of targets mounted on said board in the path of movement of the playing pieces, one of said targets being movable through said opening, the remaining of said targets being stationary upon said board and including a ball-actuated switch, means for moving said one target from a position above or below the playing board, an electric circuit controlling said moving means and including the ball-actuated switches of said remaining targets connected in parallel, said moving means including a carriage structure for said one target, a motor, a disk on the shaft of said motor, and a link connection between said disc and said carriage structure, switch means operable by said disc for controlling the energization of said electric circuit for actuating said moving means during the predetermined period of time required for moving said target above or below said playing board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 585,537 Schulz June 29, 1259'] 1,667,481 Lange et a1. Apr. 24, 1928 2,110,902 Bailey Mar. 15, 1938 2,152,680 Blaski Apr. 4, 1939 2,236,536 Hilton Apr. 1, 1941 2,299,781 Adams Oct. 27, 1942 2,642,290 Moloney et a1 June 16, 1953 2,710,756 Hooker June 14, 1955 2,727,743 Von Stoeser Dec. 20, 1955 

